Because We're a Team
by TyyTyy
Summary: Sakura realizes during the exams that she is far too weak. She doesn't want to have to be protected by her team forever. As their missions continue, she strives to become as strong as she can, hoping with time she'll be able to help her teammates, just as they've helped her. Noticing the change in her, Sasuke wants to help her as well and slowly, an unbreakable bond is formed.
1. Prologue

**Because We're a Team**

 **.**

 _Prologue_

* * *

Devastation. Fear. Uncertainty.

These were only a few of the things a twelve year old Sakura Haruno felt as she sat on the forest floor, arms wrapped securely around her teammate, whom she'd loved for as long as she could remember.

They'd been attacked, but what had her so worried was Sasuke's current state. Her teammates were both strong. Sasuke had always been strong, but that person had bitten Sasuke's neck and he'd collapsed. He leaned against her helplessly, wailing in pain and all she could do was hold him, cry, and pray he would be okay.

If she were to ever lose Sasuke, Sakura didn't know what she'd do.

Glancing down at her trembling teammate, she noticed the mark on his neck just under his hand as he held tight to that spot. His other hand was squeezing her own so tightly she feared it might break, but she would never pull away from him.

It wasn't often that Sasuke actually needed her help. Sure, she'd helped him over the course of their time together as a team. If ever an opportunity presented itself for her to useful, she jumped on it- and at this moment, she was all he had...

Sasuke needed help, they all needed help. Naruto was nowhere to be seen and the three of them were on their own in this forest of death. She'd thought they were ready for this, thought even herself was ready. These chunin exams seemed to be perfect for them at the time, but as she sat there then, holding Sasuke until his screaming faded and he fell unconscious against her, she knew she was far from ready for this.

What had she been expecting really with her skill level? With Sasuke down, how would she protect him against any enemies? She was smart, she was resourceful... but, she was weak. As much as she hated it, she needed Naruto. She had to find him. Still though, she had no idea what they were going to do.

The chunin exams already seemed over for the three of them. Sakura didn't care though, as long as Sasuke and Naruto would be okay, nothing else mattered.

...

Unfortunately for her Naruto had come to his limit as well, and Sakura was left with two battered and unconscious teammates.

She did all she could, finding them a safe hidden place to rest. She was exhausted herself, but with those two out, she had no choice but to keep watch. With the supplies they had, she cleaned their faces and left damp cloths on their foreheads as they slept.

Even in his sleep, Sasuke appeared to be in pain and each time his face twisted, or he grunted uncomfortably, her heart ached for him. Naruto was a quick healer, so she wasn't as worried about him. Something had happened to Sasuke though and she didn't know what, but she was scared.

She was so scared.

The moment they were settled and there was nothing else she could do for them besides look after them, Sakura carefully created a trap just outside of the cave they were taking refuge in, just in case an enemy did appear, she needed to have something to help her case.

Having one trap on the ground, and one in the air gave her an initial advantage at least, but she was still worried about what would actually happen if someone did happen across them. It wasn't like it would be just one person either. Everyone had their own three-man team so she'd be outnumbered, and more thank likely out-skilled as well.

She'd trained with her weapons, she knew well how to use them, but her strength was little to nothing. Her frail arms made her feel pathetic just looking at them. For a while as she fought to stay awake and keep watch, she thought she might not have been cut out for the life of a kunoichi at all.

When she thought of the other girls in her class, what did she really have compared to them? Ino had inherited the Yamanaka's mind centered techniques and she had already began to hone her abilities greatly. Hinata was of the main branch from the Hyuga clan and with her byakugan and gentle fist style, she was even a force to be reckoned with.

Even the other kunoichi she thought of, all had their own special skills... And yet, Sakura had nothing. All these fancy things in the shinobi world, and she was left with excellent chakra control. What good would that ever do her? Even her smarts... She could be top of her class, she could ace every written exam ever given to her, but in a battle... all of that was useless.

Useless, just like her.

Her eyes drooped in her exhausted state and she half wanted to cry again because she felt so tormented by her wayward thoughts, but she was even too tired to cry. She also wanted to be stronger. If only she could make it through these exams, if she and her team could heal and move past all this... She would do all that she could to become stronger. And only then would she ever reconsider taking these stupid chunin exams again.

That was if she could even continue with her dream of being a kunoichi.

...

There was an enemy. With a start at the slightest sound, she'd readied herself from the cave entrance, but then all she'd noticed was a squirrel. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't just a squirrel who'd almost triggered her trap, there was indeed a group of foes who'd found them.

Formidable as they appeared, Sakura knew she couldn't lose herself to fear now. Useless as she was, she had no choice but to face them, if not for herself then for her team. They needed her now unlike ever before and though she would more than likely lose, she wouldn't be going down without a fight.

It was Sasuke they were after. Sakura was taken aback to know that they had come to target Sasuke specifically, but it wasn't like she was about to let that happen. Not as long as she was still able to move anyway.

Unexpected as it was, help did come to her. Rock Lee, who was a fellow genin from the Leaf appeared between her and the enemy, swearing once again to protect her with his life. If she was being honest, the guy had given her the creeps and she was downright repulsed when he asked her to be his girlfriend, but as she watched him stand up and fight for her, she held nothing but respect for the guy.

After all, in this exam, he wasn't her ally, but her enemy.

Unfortunately though, the sound ninja that they were facing had skills far beyond even Lee's and in the end he was no match for them. Sakura was once again at a loss for what to do, but she knew no matter what she had to stand her ground. This time, she had to fight. She would do it, even if it killed her. She would try with all her might to protect her friends.

The girl sound ninja had came up behind her, grabbing a tight hold of her hair as she cried over her thoughts, her weaknesses, and her fears. She had to do something, anything to get through this. When she could ignore the girls snide comments no longer, she pulled out a kunai and held it firmly, teeth clenching as she went about accepting what she had to do.

Her hair meant a lot to her, it was a veil of happiness to her in ways and she'd been growing it out for quite a while. It was after she'd found out that Sasuke liked long hair on girls that she'd made the decision, but since then her long hair had stuck with her and she had always adored it, but her hair wasn't everything. She was a ninja of the hidden leaf and looks weren't what mattered. So, she'd chopped her hair off at the neck to free herself, shocking them all.

Once she was free, she went at the first guy with everything she had. Knowing substitutions came in handy and after a few times, she'd even managed to trick the guy, but she was slow, and she had no secret abilities to help her fight and so in the end, she latched onto his arm with her teeth pitifully, knowing nothing else to do and all the while, she was pounded on her head relentlessly.

There were tears in her eyes, but she took each hit he delivered, fighting hard to keep biting him as hard as she could. In reality, it was over for her before it even began. Even now when they needed her the most, Sakura was only a hindrance to her teammates. She wouldn't blame them if they hated her forever after this.

Why would two ninja as skilled as Sasuke and Naruto want a failure like her on their team? She constantly needed protecting, and they were always delivering that protection. What was she offering them at all? Nothing but pain and misfortune.

Once she'd finally been forced off the guy, she knew it was the end. She had no more energy and her vision was blurring from her swollen lids and aching head. But just at the last moment, team ten came out of nowhere and stood before her as if they'd fight for her too.

She called to Ino in surprise and confusion. The girl had been her best friend at one time but they'd long since became rivals, especially when it came to their infatuation with Sasuke. But to see Ino taking up for her after all this time, it filled Sakura's heart with warmth and happiness, even if Ino tried to act like she wasn't doing it for Sakura, but for herself.

...

Seeing Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji in action was a thrilling experience, but it only made Sakura more aware of her lack of skills. They were good, but still, even they weren't good enough to take on these sound ninja.

Another unexpected arrival showed however, Lee's team appeared and Neji seemed ready for blood. She knew well enough that he was very skilled and maybe with him and Tenten on their side a well, they would stand a chance.

However, just as Neji fell back, claiming things appeared to have been taken out of his hands, a dark and ferocious aura omitted from inside the cave. Her heart dropped when she found it to be Sasuke.

She watched as he came out of the cave, dark chakra surrounding him like a whirlwind. His sharingan was activated and there were dark marks covering his entire right side. Her breath hitched as she took him in, noticing this peculiar and unfamiliar look about him.

Was this... Sasuke?

He'd taken her in, his entire presence chilling. His cold calculating eyes assessed the open area that had become a battlefield and most of the reinforcements they'd had just moments ago already vanished, though Sakura was too preoccupied with observing Sasuke to notice. She was so distraught by what she saw as she looked at him that she couldn't even respond when he questioned her.

"Sakura... Who did this to you?" He asked, his voice icy and full of venom. When she didn't answer, he asked again. "Tell me, which one of these guys did this to you?"

"I did." The guy she'd fought smirked proudly, ignoring his teammate who seemed worried for the first time. He'd been so sure of himself just moments before.

Sakura's eyes widened slightly as Sasuke's eyes cut towards the proud sound nin and in the blink of an eye, Sasuke was next to him. Sakura gasped in surprise at his quick movements and watched silently as he sent a hit to the guy that sent him flying off by several feet.

The guy wasn't giving up though, even as his teammate begged him to fall back. He was going to come at them with one of his sound moves, a blast wave that was sure to wipe them out. But in the same instant he released the move, Sasuke was at her side and had grabbed her and Naruto both up and moved them clear out of the way.

She was stunned. Sasuke had always been amazing... But, had he always been so fast?

Sasuke lost it after that. Sakura watched bewildered, and shocked as he went for the man, going as far as dislocating his arms from their sockets and leaving him useless. Sasuke was ruthless in his movements and even when he was done with that guy, he was going for the other.

This wasn't Sasuke... This wasn't her Sasuke, the boy she cared so deeply for. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pictured him, smiling a carefree smile, his beautiful face not marked by these strange and unknown black markings that had suddenly appeared and changed him so.

"No..." She croaked, getting to her feet as he walked along. This wasn't Sasuke. "No! Stop it!" She ran after him, her tears falling in waves as she hurried up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

He stopped at her touch, glaring back at her over his shoulder and that look in his eyes was more than enough to assure her that this wasn't her Sasuke. He was darker, colder, but miraculously, his eyes softened as he took her teary, fearful eyes in and the marks marring his skin receded.

She fell to her knees to lessen his fall when he collapsed, breathing heavily as he came back to himself. His pink haired teammate was able to tell right away that he'd returned to normal and she held onto him reassuringly as he panted and shook against her.

The sound nin handed over their scroll, but in the end couldn't give her any information about this 'Orochimaru' person who'd done this to Sasuke, and who'd put those sound shinobi up to targeted Sasuke as well. Apparently, the only reason they were even taking the exam at all was just to be able to come after Sasuke.

Nothing made sense, but more than anything... Sakura was worried about Sasuke.

...

The other Leaf genin helped to look after the wounded, Naruto included. However, Sasuke wouldn't allow anyone to get close to him aside from Sakura. She'd sat with him as he gawked at his own trembling hands in shock.

"Just... What am I?" He asked himself, and Sakura knew then that he was just as afraid as she was.

For a long time, she just watched him quietly. Until he looked at her with sad onyx eyes, his black hair framing his face. His lips mulled together as he took her in, looking over her face before his eyes finally settled on her hair which had been chopped off by herself. He looked so disappointed, so apologetic. Sakura only felt worse about herself even imaging that Sasuke would feel guilty for her ending up like this.

Even he had to know that he couldn't always protect her.

She had to get stronger.

"I'm okay." She finally whispered after a long time, because she knew he needed that reassurance.

And he did. Sasuke had never seen Sakura in such a state. Any mission they had, he'd go out of his way to prevent it, as would Naruto. He knew Sakura had potential, she was still learning though, and he didn't mind protecting her until she was able to do so herself. Just imagining not being there to protect her when she needed him though, it wounded him on several different levels.

Ino called for her, saying she'd help fix her hair and Sasuke watched as she walked off with a smile. She was stronger than she thought she was. He knew it. His eyes didn't leave her as she knelt down before Ino who quickly went about straightening the ends of her hair. Why did he feel so guilty?

He knew why... Because he never wanted to see those close to him hurt again, and the only people close to him were Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi.

Annoying as she was, Sakura cared deeply for him, she always had. Sure she had a crush on him just like most girls did, but with her it was different. She cried for him, she wanted him alive and well above anything else. If he asked it of her, she would be anything he wanted her to be.

That day as he watched her, Sasuke's respect for her grew and he silently made a vow to himself never to let anything like that happen to her again.


	2. Training

**Because We're a Team**

 **.**

 **Chapter One**

 _Training_

* * *

Sasuke had been given a curse mark.

That Orochimaru person had inflicted a wound upon Sasuke that he would not soon be healing from. The chunin exams had been a frightening experience for team seven and even now it was far from over. They'd managed to make it through the forest of death miraculously, but even then came a sudden death elimination.

Sakura had tried to stop Sasuke, to keep him from fighting being that the mark had been an unknown to them, but he refused to let her tell anyone about it and he fought against her wishes. Even in his current state, he won, but as soon as the match was over he was taken away by Kakashi.

Though thoughts of him were in the back of her mind- and she was worried about him, Sakura forced herself to keep her mind on her own battle, which happened to be against Ino. It was a battle of rivals and once best friends and in the end, they both felt they'd grown as kunoichi by the time it was over. However, it ended in a draw- and neither of them would be going to the final rounds.

Disappointed as she was, Sakura knew she wasn't ready and she was also undeserving of the title chunin. She'd watched her two teammates win their battles and she knew if anyone could do it, it would be those two. Even Naruto, he was a fool but he never gave up and he was always surprising people, even her.

There was to be one month of preparation for the genin before the final rounds would begin. Sakura found herself feeling quite miserable since she was never able to visit Sasuke before he was whisked off by Kakashi for further training. Naruto was doing training as well and so over the course of that month, Sakura would visit Lee in the hospital, or take to her own training.

She had to get serious.

It would be sometime before she'd ever be prepared to take the chunin exams again, but she knew sitting around wasn't going to get her ready. So, while she knew her team was fighting hard to better themselves, she tried to do the same.

Sometimes Ino would find her on the training grounds and even help by sparring with her and as the days passed, Sakura could feel herself becoming stronger, though not nearly as strong as she needed to be. She didn't know how, but some way she wanted to learn other things, she wanted to have her own special abilities to use in battle, but that seemed like a farfetched dream she'd never realize.

…

The final rounds came and nothing could have prepared any of them for what was to happen. Naruto amazingly won out against Neji, and Sakura had been both nervous and excited about seeing Sasuke's fight with Gaara, but just in the middle of their battle, Sakura started to become groggy and noticed that many of the people around her had fallen asleep, including Ino. Realizing a genjutsu had been cast, she quickly released it to prevent herself from exposure only to realize just how quickly so many people had been affected.

Immediately, Sasuke went after Gaara when his siblings ran off with him and Sakura was left to bring Naruto out of the genjutsu and then Shikamaru, who hadn't been affected at all, but rather pretended to be asleep in a feeble attempt to keep himself free of any work. Unfortunately for him, he was sent along with Sakura and Naruto to go after Sasuke and aid him in his battle with Gaara. There was no time to think or complain, only time to act. Something major was brewing in the leaf at that time.

Shikamaru stayed back when a group came and held them up on their way, though he claimed it to be a huge pain, he shooed the other two genin off knowing it was the only way for them to catch up to Sasuke, and they hurried along knowing they had to do just that.

When they finally made it to Sasuke, he was already in bad shape, stuck to the spot laying on his front on a tree branch with Gaara coming for him. Naruto sent a kick to his face, protecting Sasuke and giving Sakura space to join him on the large branch.

"Sasuke-kun…" The mark had returned and he seemed to be in an awful lot of pain. Just seeing him like so had Sakura's heart wringing. As he grunted in pain she laid her hand on his back in a mild attempt to comfort him, though she knew nothing she could do to help him.

This was Gaara, he was a jinchuriki and he was strong. She didn't know how the three of them would fair against him, especially with Sasuke already hurt. Each time he moved even the slightest bit, he groaned in pain and was unable to fight through it to get up. Sakura called him name again, worried and helpless as she watched him struggle.

"You guys…" Sasuke seemed surprised to have them there at all, though there was a look of relief in his eyes.

He held tight to his neck, obviously trying to subdue the curse mark that had activated and just as Sakura went to speak to him, Gaara came charging past Naruto, straight for Sasuke.

There wasn't much she could do. Sakura knew as well as anyone just how weak she was. Defeating Gaara wasn't something she could even imagine herself doing, even taking him on was impossible for her, but even if she died doing so, she would try to protect Sasuke.

Kunai in hand, Sakura threw herself in front of Sasuke to block Gaara's attack, or take it upon herself rather than sit by and watch Sasuke be hurt even further. She was snatched up immediately and pinned against the trunk of the tree, being slammed and squeezed too tightly. Naruto and Sasuke yelling out her name was the last thing she heard before the pain became too much and she lost consciousness.

…

Never had Sasuke thought Sakura to be more annoying than at that moment. Anger coursed through his veins as she jumped before him and all he could do was watch as that monster captured her none too gently and secured her against the tree. Almost instantly she was out cold and Sasuke ground his teeth together, trying with all his might to push back the curse mark and his pain so he could save her.

Even as the fight went on, Sakura was stuck just there and getting her free seemed to be a difficult task indeed. Sasuke was finally able to get to his feet, to fight alongside Naruto, but even after a while he didn't see any way for the two of them to defeat Gaara and make it out alive. To Sasuke, the most important thing at that point was to save Sakura, and for his teammates to get away unharmed.

"Naruto… you have to save Sakura, no matter what." Sasuke said, his eyes narrowed as he thought over what was to come. "I can buy you some time. You get Sakura and run… I lost everything once. I never want to watch those most precious to me be killed right before my eyes."

Naruto was taken aback by Sasuke's words, and as much as he respected his feelings, the last thing Naruto would ever do was run away. They'd save Sakura together, they'd defeat Gaara and the entire team would go home to fight another day.

It wasn't easy for Sasuke to watch Naruto take the initiative, to feel helpless as his teammate fought on a whole new level against a foe he himself could not seem to win against. Annoying as it was, still the most important thing to him was for them to be safe and eventually the sand arm that held Sakura tight to the tree dispersed and Sasuke jumped over to catch her as she fell.

Carefully, he laid her down on the trunk, his eyes full of emotion as he looked down at her unconscious form. She would be okay, but Sasuke was not happy with himself for letting something happen to her once again, not after he'd sworn to protect her. Pakkun was there, and knowing he had to get back to assisting Naruto, Sasuke spoke to the ninja dog, though his obsidian eyes never left his pink-haired teammate.

"Take care of Sakura."

Leaving her was hard, but they had to defeat Gaara above all to prevent any further damage.

In the end, it was Naruto who'd done most of the fighting and came out the victor in his fight against Gaara. It had been a long and strenuous battle for all of them and by the time everything was over and they made it back home, they found that many other things had been happening in the village as they'd fought Gaara.

…

It was raining that day as team seven, along with every other villager- shinobi and civilian, attended a memorial service, having lost even the Hokage during that time. Everybody was distraught and saddened by this, even the skies were crying for the loss that had come upon them all.

Sakura was standing beside Sasuke. Since returning to the village things had returned to normal for him it seemed. She watched him, noting the fact that he seemed to be painless and mostly himself. She hoped that mark never came out again, it was bad for Sasuke, it hurt him- and Sakura didn't like that. She stood close to him, but kept a distance enough to be sure they didn't touch. After a while, the rain let up and she looked up at the sky as the clouds parted slowly, revealing the sun for the first time that day.

"The rain stopped…" She murmured, and Sasuke looked up as well, seeming to notice only then.

"Hn."

"I wonder what will happen from here… I think a lot is going to change in the village."

"Yeah."

Looking back to Sasuke, Sakura bit her bottom lip as she thought about what was to come. For now, they'd go back to their usual missions and training. She wanted to spend a lot of time with Sasuke, to watch over him and make sure he was okay, but she knew that what she had to be doing was training and bettering herself. If she wanted to become useful, and be able to be proud of herself being on her team, then she had a lot of work ahead of her.

…

With the Hokage deceased, things in the village were a mess for a while. Missions weren't being given to the genin often and if they were, it was the same old boring starter missions they were given so long ago. Even those only happened a few times and so for the most part, team seven were separately doing their own training.

Naruto had taken to training with Jaraiya, a legendary sannin just like that Orochimaru person who had been the one to take the third Hokage's life. He'd left on a journey only a few days after the memorial service and with Sasuke relentlessly training himself, Sakura could only do the same.

So today, she was on the training grounds, working on her taijutsu skills. Her legs were bruised and aching as she delivered one kick after the next to the stump before her. The pain had gone on so long that she was becoming numb and she was pushing through with tears in her eyes because she just couldn't stop, she couldn't give up.

How would she ever become stronger if she always stopped when things got hard?

When her legs finally threatened to give on her completely, she made herself stop, but immediately switched to punching, using both fists to hit the stump. She was tired, she was breathless and she was hurting, but she would continue to do this every day. She would push herself, and slow as it may be, she would become stronger. She would make it to where Sasuke and Naruto could depend on her as well. She wouldn't be useless forever.

"Sakura?"

Startled by the voice calling her, she jumped and fell flat on her backside. She winced in pain, eyes closed tightly before she felt him walk closer to her and she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as she took in her black-haired teammate. His brows were pulled together, his jaw tense as he looked her over.

"Um… Hi, Sasuke-kun. What are you doing here?"

His hands went into his pockets and he looked away from her before answering. "I was looking for you actually."

Sakura blinked, taken aback. Sasuke never looked for her, so she figured it must be important. "Is something wrong?"

His eyes turned back to her. "What are you doing to yourself?" He changed the subject completely, leaving her baffled momentarily.

"What do you mean?"

He glared sharply at her before his eyes trailed down to her bruised and dirty legs. "You shouldn't look like that."

Sakura frowned as she looked down to take in her legs as well. They looked bad, they hurt and were trembling from overexertion, but Sakura was proud of pushing herself. Still, it was embarrassing for Sasuke to see her in such a mess so she pulled her legs under her to hide them.

Sasuke mirrored her unhappy look. To him, Sakura was never supposed to look like that. Her training should be simple. Seeing her sweaty and dirty and all cut up was new to him. He didn't like it. This didn't seem normal for her. She'd trained before, but her hair was always clean and neat. She was never dirty. She was always smiling when she saw him. Ever since the exams though, she was working herself endlessly, she was always dirty and tired and never around. She never came to bring him food like she normally would, didn't even try to strike up a conversation when they ran across each other. He was worried about her. For some reason, he missed the old Sakura. He hated it every time he looked at this new version of her, even every time he saw her hair.

Sakura just wasn't the same.

"I have to get stronger." She whispered after some time and Sasuke found himself sighing and taking a seat beside her on the ground.

"And you will… but you don't have to push yourself too hard. You should take care of yourself more."

Sadly, Sakura no longer felt that way. She'd spent her entire life taking care of herself above all else, depending on other people to keep her safe even when she was so determined to be a kunoichi. Her looks had always come first because she always wanted to look her best in front of Sasuke, but she knew she couldn't be that girl anymore. She wanted to make him proud, she wanted him to recognize all her hard work, but instead he just seemed upset with her.

"I'm only doing what I must do." She assured him before taking a stand. Sasuke's eyes widened at this.

Was she really going to leave him, after he came to spend some time with her?

"I understand, Sakura. You don't need to get defensive." He said, unable to explain his feeling to her. He couldn't just come out and say that he wanted her perfect like she always had been, that he never wanted to see her hurt, that he would always protect her. He would get stronger, so would she… but he never wanted to see her like he'd seen her that day in the chunin exams. And he didn't want to see her pushing herself unlike she ever had been before. She wasn't setting a pace for herself. At the rate she was going, she'd kill herself.

"No, Sasuke-kun. You don't understand. I'm weak. I've been nothing but a burden to you and Naruto… even Kakashi-sensei. I'm not going to be that girl anymore. You just sit back and watch, one day I'll be fighting alongside the two of you."

And Sasuke did watch, in disbelief as she walked away from him for the first time in their lives.

…

"What's on your mind today, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked his pupil as they continued their training.

It was a few days after Sasuke had spoken with Sakura and he hadn't seen her since. She was on his mind a lot and he couldn't stop worrying about her. Confiding in Kakashi about his thoughts wasn't something he wanted to do though, so he shrugged it off claiming it to be nothing and they continued on with their training for the day without any further questions.

Strange as it was, Sasuke found himself thinking more and more about his life and how different it had become since team seven was formed. They'd become his family, they made him happy- even if he didn't show it sometimes… and he'd been thinking about revenge less and less these days.

Of course, he still had all intentions of fulfilling his need for revenge. He would find and kill his brother, but he knew that reality would take time. He had to gain much more strength before he could ever hope to face Itachi. His training happened daily, and he knew he was getting stronger each day, but the process was slow. He could only imagine how Sakura must feel about herself, so in a way he understood what she meant, and he was glad she'd gotten motivated. He just wished that motivation hadn't changed her so much.

It was a week later when he seen her again. He was on his way to deliver a message to the shinobi that watched the gate given to him by Kakashi and on his way through he spotted Sakura sitting on the bench, bandaging her legs. She looked exhausted, pale and had dark circles under her eyes, something Sasuke had never seen on her before. She'd lost weight and altogether looked as if she hadn't eaten, bathed, or slept in days.

Sasuke walked over to her, deciding to put his mission on hold, which was unlike him as well. But, could he really ignore his teammate when she seemed to be in such a bad state of mind. What was she really doing to herself, and why did he feel so guilty every time he saw her?

"Sasuke?" She looked up and called to him when he just stood there silently. She'd finished her bandages but she looked so horrible, Sasuke didn't know what to do or say to help the situation.

"Are you hungry?" He asked after a moment, eyes downcast as he looked to her.

Her brows raised and she regarded him curiously before answering. "Yeah, I was just thinking about food actually. Why?"

Sasuke shrugged and averted his eyes to look anywhere but at her. "I just thought we could go for food together."

"Really?" Sakura asked in surprise and a slight smirk pulled at his lips at her reaction. Maybe all hope wasn't lost, maybe his Sakura was still in there somewhere.

Not that she was his or anything…

"That sounds amazing."

"Hn." Sasuke agreed, finally looking back at her with a genuine smile in place. "Why don't you go home and get cleaned up. I have to deliver a message to the gate, so I'll just meet you at your house."

Sakura got up, her cheeks reddening bashfully. "Um, okay… I'll see you in a bit then."

Sasuke only nodded in response before she hurried off in the direction of her home and he didn't miss the way she had to limp on her way. He sighed and turned in the opposite direction to make his way to the gate and complete his mission. He hoped somehow that Sakura would come back to herself.

…

Sakura was beside herself as she stripped off her clothes and hopped in the shower which she had running and ready to go. She couldn't believe that Sasuke wanted to go and eat with her and she was so excited. Maybe it wasn't a date or anything, but it had to be a step in the right direction. She thought that maybe Sasuke was acknowledging all of her hard work and maybe he respected her more. After all, she wasn't that clingy annoying little girl anymore.

Or she was trying hard not to be anyway.

She washed her filthy skin vigorously, her hair as well. She'd been so exhausted the day before that she'd passed out without a shower and then the moment she woke up she started her training again. Being clean wasn't one of her concerns at the time, but if she was going to get food with Sasuke, she had to look decent at least.

After brushing her teeth, she dressed in her usual wardrobe and then brushed her hair before tying her headband in place. Her legs were sore, but didn't look so bad since they were cleaned up. Bruising was evident and the scrapes were healing slowly but Sakura was proud of every blemish she had. She'd worked hard and those soon to be scars only helped tell that.

Still, she remembered Sasuke's face when he saw her legs before so she wrapped them up to keep them concealed even though it wasn't necessary at that point. She was just getting her shoes on when a knock sounded on her window.

As soon as she finished with her shoes she hurried to the window and slid it open. Sasuke was there, hands in his pockets, usual stoic look on his face. She came out the window immediately, not bothering to close it behind her.

"So where are we going?" She asked as she hurried along with Sasuke who instantly started walking off.

He shrugged indifferently. "Wherever you prefer."

"How about barbeque?"

"Hn. That's fine."

With their destination decided, the two of them walked silently to the restaurant which wasn't very far from Sakura's house. They arrived in a few short minutes and after being showed to a private booth, they sat down to order. Sasuke asked for extra meat and they ordered a variety of vegetables and their drinks before the server scurried off.

Sakura thought this was nice. It was actually the first time that she and Sasuke had ever sat down to eat alone together and she was very happy about it. For the first time since he'd been bitten by Orochimaru, Sakura felt some semblance of happiness. Sasuke looked happy as well. He was himself, but his eyes seemed to light up when he looked at her and he was smiling more often than usual, even if he'd only done so a couple times.

"How's the training with Kakashi-sensei going?" Sakura asked after their food and drinks had been delivered and Sasuke went about using their personal grill, placing the vegetables on one side and the meat on the other.

"Fine. There's not much too it."

Sakura watched his hands move as he expertly placed the food about, it was quite fascinating for her to watch him do anything. But, there was something special about his hands. She was so absorbed in watching him that she didn't bother asking him anything further, but by the time he flipped the meat, he spoke again.

"And yours?"

"Oh. Um…" Sakura squirmed a bit in her seat and looked down to her own hands which rested in her lap. "Good I suppose. I've been training hard every day, but it will take a long time to get where I want to be."

Sasuke nodded at that. "Ah. Me too."

"Do you think… we'll always be together?" Sakura asked, only to blush madly before stuttering, "I-I mean… well, you know… as a team."

"Hn." Sasuke smiled to himself as he flipped a few other pieces of meat. "I do." He really did believe that.

Sakura was surprised but thrilled by his words because for some reason, they were very reassuring. For a while, she'd thought that Naruto and Sasuke would leave her behind because she would be of no use to them, but maybe they didn't feel that way at all. Either way, she'd made it up in her mind not to give them reason to feel that way. She would become strong.

"Eat up." He told her and she looked down at her plate that he'd filled with several pieces of meat and two skewers of vegetables.

Her stomach growled at the sight of it but she knew there was no way she'd finish it all, even as hungry as she was. Still, she didn't have the nerve to tell him that. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

They ate silently and Sakura was able to eat more than she imagined. It was nice to spend time like that with Sasuke, something was a rare treat she would savor for a long, long time. Even after they'd finished having dinner, he walked her home and she couldn't help feeling that he had changed. In some way, Sasuke had loosened up, he'd lightened up, he'd grown nicer.

"Thanks for tonight, Sasuke-kun. The food was good and I had a great time!"

Sasuke gave her a nod, his hands in his pockets as he watched her skip up her doorsteps and look back at him. "So uh… Tomorrow… Want to watch me train?"

Her face fell at that and she chewed on her bottom lip as if contemplating her answer. "Um, actually I have plans with my own training for tomorrow. But, if I have time I'll be sure to find you!"

With that she'd swung her front door open and bolted inside, leaving Sasuke standing there facing where she'd been with his mouth hanging open in surprise. He could have been wrong, but he was pretty sure that Sakura had just brushed him off. Just when he thought she'd appreciated his change in attitude, and would hopefully return to the old Sakura, the Sakura he was so accustomed to. But as he turned to make his way home he realized, this was a whole new Sakura and though she was worrying him like crazy, he was starting to respect her more and more.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. Growing

**Because We're a Team**

 **.**

 **Chapter Two**

 _Growing_

* * *

Time changed many things as it passed by. Weeks seemed like months because so much was happening. The village had still been in chaos after losing the third, and the genin of the leaf were busy with odd jobs, but other than that, life was simple.

Not for Sasuke, though. He was annoyed that Naruto had been lucky enough to go off on an adventure with that sage, leaving him along to deal with the ever-changing Sakura. She was changing so drastically in such a short amount of time that Sasuke could worry about nothing but her. All his own ambitions had been put aside while he spent every free second he had, searching for her, and trying to be there for her through this phase she was going through.

For the life of him, he could not figure out what had happened to her, or what was bothering her so much that she felt the need to be someone else, but it concerned him enough to drop everything else. His vengeance was forgotten, and the curse mark hadn't been thought of in weeks.

Not since Orochimaru had sent a gang of goons after him, to convince him to join them in a quest for power. Sasuke couldn't agree, appealing as the offer may have been. He would get stronger right where he was. He had a new family, team seven, and somebody had to look after Sakura.

Sasuke felt responsible, for she'd looked after him for so long before then.

Nowadays, the only thing Sakura thought about was training, and getting stronger. She was more power hungry than Sasuke had ever thought about being. He couldn't understand. But, with every day that passed by with him seeing her grow, he admired her more.

She was always exhausted when she joined him and Kakashi for simple missions, and every other time he found her (and he literally had to go looking) she was in the forest somewhere, or the training grounds. She never gave herself a break. Sasuke didn't know where all the motivation had come from, but she was certainly pushing herself, and her efforts were already paying off. He could see a big difference in her, and not just in her attitude towards him.

Today he was just wandering aimlessly through the village after his early morning training when he overheard that Naruto had returned with the sage, and they'd brought back a woman, who was to take the place of the next hokage. This news had him searching for Sakura, because he knew she had to be in the outskirts, and for some reason he felt she should learn about this newfound information.

The woman was apparently a healer, and would be seeing to Lee and all the other people still in the hospital after the attack on the leaf. He knew Sakura had gone to visit Lee often, so he was sure she'd be pleased to know someone had come along who could possibly help with his condition.

After finding the training grounds empty, he searched the surrounding area of the forest, but Sakura was nowhere to be found. Sasuke found this odd, but didn't think much of it as he then made his way towards her home.

Just as he walked up to her door, it swung open, Sakura barreling out so quickly she ran straight into him. Reflexively, Sasuke's arms went around her to hold her in place before she could fall backwards. She squeaked in surprise, green eyes opening wide as she cocked her head back to look up at him.

"Sasuke-kun!" She blinked rapidly at him in surprise. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there and-"

"It's fine." He cut her off, arms falling away from her then. When he stepped back to put some space between them he noticed that for the first time in weeks, she didn't look tired, or dirty. Her hair was clean and silky looking. She smelled nice and was dressed in her normal attire. She looked like the old Sakura. "Going somewhere?" He found himself asking, unable to keep from wondering what was so different about today.

"Oh, yeah. Well, Naruto is back and there's a lady who is going to examine Lee. I'm going to pay him a visit while it's on my mind and then find Naruto since it's been a while."

"Hn." Sasuke almost rolled his eyes, but instead he just turned on his heel and started walking away. Sakura was right behind him though.

"Is something wrong? Did you need me?" She asked curiously, walking along beside him. He didn't know why he was going in the same direction, because he suddenly wanted nothing more than to go home.

"No." He grumbled, wondering idly why he was so annoyed all of a sudden.

"Oh… If you wanted to train, I don't mind. I just want to see Lee and Naruto first."

Sasuke shrugged, not daring to glance over at her. "Whatever."

Sometimes it really irked him when he thought so much about her, only to feel like she had become the oblivious one. She'd always been so attentive when it came to him, that it was odd for him to think her attention was always somewhere else. It did bother him, but Sasuke would never admit that.

"Sakura-chan, Sasuke!"

They both stopped in their tracks and turned to look to their right at the sound of Naruto shouting their names. He still had his backpack strapped on as he ran towards them, waving frantically with a huge grin on his face. Sasuke's hands went into his pockets, eyes narrowing as Sakura waved back excitedly.

"Hey Naruto, you're finally back!" She smiled so happily at her blonde teammate that Sasuke couldn't keep from turning his nose up at the scene. Why her excitement annoyed him so, he wasn't sure. But, it did.

"Yeah. The journey was insane, believe it! We finally found Granny and she's on her way to see Lee as we speak."

"Oh, Lee." Sakura gasped. "I almost forgot. I've gotta run guys, I'll see you later!"

Sasuke frowned deeply as he watched her run off, refusing to go after her even though he really, really wanted to. Once she was out of sight, obsidian eyes looked to Naruto, turning to a glower as he noticed the stare he was receiving.

"Problem, dobe?"

"Maybe, teme."

Sasuke's quirked a brow. "Don't get ahead of yourself, loser."

"You've been giving Sakura-chan a hard time while I've been gone, haven't you?"

"Tch." Sasuke rolled his eyes, unable to believe how wrong Naruto was. It was Sakura who was giving him the hard time, not the other way around. "Get lost."

"You better start being nicer to her, teme!" Naruto shouted after him as he walked away, with no particular destination in mind.

He ended up wandering around for an hour before his feet led him to the forest and he proceeded to train alone like he usually did. Perfecting his lightning style was his current goal. Change in nature would develop his jutsu beautifully, so it was a smart goal to have.

The sharingan was second nature to him by now, but he was still learning to use it wisely, for it consumed a large amount of chakra during use. His fire style was already close enough to perfection, as was his shuriken skills. Still, Sasuke pushed himself when it came to his training daily. He would never lose to Naruto, he would become strong enough to always protect those precious to him, and he would eventually obtain enough power to end his brother's life, and exact his revenge.

/

Sakura had been lucky enough to arrive at Lee's room just as Tsunade, one of the three legendary sannin was seeing to him. He didn't receive good news, but Sakura could see how skilled that woman was, and without thinking twice about it, she asked if she could observe her work while in the hospital that day. The older woman gave the girl a curious look before ultimately allowing her to do so. Even she could see the headstrong look in the young girl's eyes.

The more she could learn, the better. Meeting Tsunade made Sakura realize there was so much more in the world she could learn. If she could become stronger, and learn to heal as well, she would be one step closer to becoming a better kunoichi. She was sure if she showed how dedicated she could be to learning, the woman would eventually accept her as an apprentice.

So, Sakura spent the next few weeks studying Tsunade's every move. When she wasn't training, she was following her, watching her. After a while, she finally got the nerve to bring up her request. It was early morning and the fifth hokage was yawning sleepily as she made her way to her office, and for once her assistant wasn't tagging along.

Just as she made it to the office door, Sakura jumped in her way, arms stretched wide across the door. Tsunade gazed down at her unfazed for a moment before she sighed. "Can we at least go inside?"

Though she hesitated, Sakura nodded and together they entered the room.

"So, what's this all about, Sakura?"

Sakura's fingers twined together behind her back nervously and she almost lost her resolve before the words just spilled from her mouth. "Make me your apprentice."

The older woman just smirked in response. But after that, Sakura was training specifically under the fifth hokage, and she knew that soon enough, she would reach her next goal.

/

Another year flew by and by then, Sakura was more confident in her abilities. She didn't scold herself as much, as long as she wasn't failing at anything anyway. Of course she still had a long way to go, but every day she progressed. She'd already learned so much, and was still learning on a daily basis. Growing was thrilling to her, and she'd grown a lot in the last year.

She was happy. Team seven was doing amazing. Sasuke and Naruto had their disagreements at times but that was to be expected. Sasuke had learned to control his curse mark, but had yet to come across Orochimaru again. They were all aware that the snake sannin had a plan to steal Sasuke's body for himself, but none of them were willing to let that happen. It helped that they were all getting so stronger together so quickly too.

Today Sakura was doing her normal early morning hospital rounds. As Tsunade's apprentice, she saw to all patients and reported back to her when needed. However, Sakura was a quick learner, and she'd become quite capable in a short amount of time. When she walked into one room though and found Sasuke there, her heart skipped a beat.

"Sasuke-kun?" She looked over her clipboard in surprise, having not even checked whom she would be examining. There was no information besides his name and date of birth. "I thought you were in Suna."

"I was. Got back today, but I was hit with a poison kunai during the mission."

"Oh?" Sakura laid her clipboard on the table and walked over to him, until she was standing just before him. "Show me the wound."

Swiftly, Sasuke removed his shirt and raised his right arm to reveal the nasty gash on his side. Sakura sighed as she looked it over. Another day and his skin would have been decaying around the affected area. It was a poison that would attack his insides, giving him a slow, painful and eventual death. It was early own and could be healed easily enough, but she knew he was lucky the poison wasn't so potent.

"The wound is ugly but it could have been a lot worse. I can clear all the poison and infection here, but I'll send you home with some antibiotics just to be safe."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted as she began to pour her chakra into him. It was a strange sensation that he would never get used to. Being both unsettling and soothing at once. In a matter of minutes, she'd removed all toxin from his body, leaving his side feeling good as new. "Thank you." He told her, pulling his shirt back on then. "I keep forgetting how good you've gotten with your healing abilities."

"Oh, yeah?" Sakura giggled. "There's still a lot I need to learn before I can start bragging. Not that I'd ever brag."

"When does your shift end?" He asked suddenly, having not moved from his seat.

"Not for a couple more hours. But, I can take lunch if you're interested."

Sasuke looked her over suggestively before smirking. "Fine, but no ramen."

Ramen was always a lunch favorite for team seven, but Sasuke had to have a taste for it to want it at any time. "No problem." Sakura smiled sweetly at him. "We can just go to your place and have miso soup."

Sakura knew Sasuke wouldn't argue with that, and she was already planning to make some special things for him while at his home as well. She always felt so bad for Sasuke being all alone, so she would visit him at times and on rare occasions she and Naruto slept over at his place. Life was good for the most part, Sakura had moved past her insecurities and she'd gotten over her ridiculous crush on Sasuke. Not that she didn't love him, because she did. She loved him from the bottom of her heart, but she would never fawn over him again. She would never be a desperate little crybaby again. She would be strong enough to protect him. She would be wise enough to help him, and she would love him quietly until he was ready for something more.

Right then, they enjoyed being friends. Sasuke was proud of how far Sakura had become and Sakura was always striving to become more for her team. She didn't seem to be killing herself anymore, even though she did work and study all the time. She was happy, and that satisfied Sasuke, and the rest of her team too.

Now she would go have lunch with her beloved teammate, return for the remainder of her shift, do a few hours of training and then have a late night studying. She may have never given herself a break, but she knew all her hard work would eventually pay off, so she did all she could every day to work towards her future goals.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Goals

**Because We're a Team**

 **.**

 **Chapter Three**

 _Goals_

* * *

Time never stood still. Another two years of training had gone by and Sakura was now fifteen. She worked tirelessly at the hospital, having learned so much over the past few years of training, and yet she still studied, she still strived to get better. Things were harder now, she was working towards a goal that required delicate chakra control, something she had but considering the circumstances was still hard to achieve.

Her chakra supply had been minimized because she had been constantly fueling one part of herself with a steady flow of chakra, a reserve that she could not tap into for three years straight. At one point in her forehead, she would have to accumulate chakra for those three years. While she trained, while she worked… and even while she slept.

It would not be easy to accomplish, but Sakura had a determination that most didn't. She knew she'd succeed, because she'd never give up. So, Tsunade explained all she could and at first, Sakura had to calm herself and not think of anything else just to concentrate on separating her chakra flow. To only be able to tap into twenty percent of her chakra… it would be truly difficult for her.

Tsunade knew this, so she announced that Sakura would no longer be allowed to partake in missions, nor would she be able to perform certain procedures medical wise. Anything that would put her at risk to complete depletion of her chakra would not be allowed. Under no circumstances could she tap into the large reserve she was building, or she would never awaken the seal.

…

Naruto was off training with that sage again. Sasuke usually trained alone if not with Kakashi. He'd recently taken to a sword. Sakura had gifted it to him for his birthday that had only just passed the month before. She claimed that it caught her eye and she thought of him… and it made Sasuke want to master it.

He would.

Sometimes on his way back in from the training grounds, he would come across Sakura. She would always be sitting on the ground under a tree in the quiet, eyes closed as if she was blocking out the entire world. He'd never bother her, or break her concentration, but he knew she was training one way or another… she always was.

Missions came for him pretty often, sometimes it would be him and Kakashi and other times he was sent alone, or with a selection of other shinobi. It entirely depended upon the mission itself. It was strange though, even after so long of being without them, Sasuke missed his team. He knew that one day though they would be doing missions together again.

Until then, he would keep to himself, do his training and fulfill any missions given to him.

…

Another year passed by before Naruto returned, but only because Sasuke had sent his hawk with a message to the dobe, requesting he return in a timely manner. The chunin exams were only a couple weeks away and Sasuke was ready to attempt the exam again, had been for over a year, but Naruto was always away… and he still was unsure about Sakura.

Only on the rarest occasions did he get to see her and when they were together they avoided talking about training, being that was all the two of them ever did anyway. He hadn't mentioned the chunin exams to her yet, but he was sure she would agree to participate.

Naruto returned with only a week to spare, already eager for the exams. He didn't need convincing. But the two of them still had to talk to Sakura. Without all three of their members, they wouldn't be able to participate.

They found Sakura in the Hokage's office. She was surrounded by dozens of books as she sat on the floor, though she wasn't reading. She appeared to be meditating, eyes closed as they entered the room without so much as a knock. It was Naruto who barged in like he owned the place, while Sasuke followed him in silently.

"Naruto?" Tsunade's brow rose at the sight of him.

Naruto laughed as he greeted her. "Yeah I'm back! Sasuke told me about the chunin exams and we want in!"

Sakura opened her eyes then and stood to her feet, glancing from Naruto to Sasuke and then Tsunade who pursed her lips at his words. "It's unfortunate you came all the way home for that… without a three-man squad you can't take the exam and Sakura is unable to participate.

This was news to Sasuke. He eyed Sakura in wonder as Naruto gawked at the Hokage in annoyance. "And why the hell not?"

"Tsunade-sama," Sakura began with a frown, only to be cut short by a sharp look from Tsunade.

"Sakura. You know as well as I that I can not permit you to take the exams. The risk would be too great."

Sakura looked defeated, but made no move to argue with her mentor. She looked to her teammates apologetically, and Sasuke's jaw tensed. He needed an explanation. Sakura had been training endlessly for the past few years. He knew she was stronger, even if he didn't know how much stronger. He and Naruto were also stronger, much stronger. They could protect her if need be.

"Answer my question, granny! What risk? You think me and Sasuke would let anything happen to her?" Naruto was on a roll now, but Sasuke wasn't going to complain. Though he appeared as stoic as ever, he was just as curious, and just as annoyed on the inside.

Tsunade's fist slammed down on her desk and she glared harshly as Naruto. "Sakura's training is most important right now, and she's working on only a fifth of her chakra. She can't even perform surgery… or she isn't supposed to and yet she did just yesterday which ended in her collapsing! Any type of combat is off limits for her right now, because it is necessary."

One fifth of her chakra? Sasuke didn't know how she was managing that, but it had certainly piqued his interest. "Tsunade-sama is right." Sakura told them both, not bothering to hide her disappointment. "I would only hinder the two of you."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at her words. He could see what she was thinking so clearly- 'just like last time'. He wouldn't allow her to be so hard on herself, when she had strived to get stronger, to learn more, to be more for herself, and for their team.

"We can't take the exams without you, Sakura." Sasuke told her, voice cool and calm. "You wouldn't be a hindrance. We need you for this. So your chakra levels are low right now, it doesn't matter. Naruto and I will protect you."

Sakura's lips trembled at his words and her eyes casted down to the floor. She was torn and he knew it. She didn't want to let her team down, by not participating, and also by being weak. Sasuke knew though that she wasn't weak. Still, if she could only work on such a short percentage of her chakra, things had to have been hard for her.

 _How long had she been dealing with this?_

"Milady, please permit me to join them in the exams. I know my limits… and with those two with me I'm certain I'll be fine."

"That's right!" Naruto shouted, fist pumping into the air. "Sakura-chan deserves this chance. We all do."

Tsunade sighed, nails drumming across her desk as she pondered the situation. "Fine, I'll allow it. I know how determined you are Sakura… but if you're not careful these past two years could end up being all for naught."

"You won't regret your decision, milady."

…

After they each filled out their applications, Sakura and her teammates left the Hokage's office and made their way to Ichikaru's for some ramen. She was excited and happy to have her team pleased with her. Even if she couldn't do but so much, she was still capable even with minimum chakra. She knew just what she could do better than anyone, even if there were times that she did push herself too far.

They only had one week before the exams which would be held in Suna. In that time Sakura planned to rest. They would have to leave in four days. This time, she was certain that they'd all come out as chunin. They'd all grown considerably. She knew Sasuke and Naruto had gotten much stronger just by being in their presence.

Though she knew they were both curious, Sasuke even more than Naruto, neither of them questioned her about her chakra and she was glad because explaining things would have been difficult. They ate their ramen while Naruto talked endlessly about his journey and Sasuke and Sakura listened to him. They were both happy to have him back, and to be taking these exams together once more.

It was after they finished eating that Sakura excused herself. She was happy- so happy. While she wanted more than anything to spend some quality time with her teammates, she knew she needed to get home. She had so much studying to do, so much to prepare if she had any hope of passing the chunin exams. However, she barely made it out of Ichiraku's when a hand was suddenly halting her by her arm.

"Sasuke-kun?" How brows furrowed when she looked back at him, not liking the way his brows were furrowed nor the thoughtful look in his eyes.

His mouth opened but he said nothing, only closed his mouth after a moment as if he was at a loss. Sakura's head tilted in curiosity before he finally found his voice. "Would you just… I want you to take it easy before the exams. Can you do that… for me?"

Green eyes widened at this. She knew he was worried about her and it was rather touching. A soft smile took over her features and she turned to wrap her arms around his waist. "Don't worry, Sasuke-kun. I'll be fine. Lady Tsunade just blows things way out of proportion sometimes."

The way his eyes narrowed on her said he wasn't falling for her attempts to downplay the situation she was in. "A fifth of your chakra, Sakura?" He shook his head and sighed. "I'm serious. We don't know what things will be like in the exams this year, so until they begin I want you to rest. That means no training. No studying."

"Sasuke-kun." Sakura scoffed, pulling her arms away from him then. "I appreciate your concern, but I didn't ask for it. I can't afford to waste a single day. I need to train. I need to study."

"No, you need to take it easy. You're always pushing yourself. What's so bad about resting for once?" He argued, not understanding why she was getting upset with him.

"You wouldn't understand!" She spun around and ran away, leaving him confused and hurt.

It was never Sasuke's intention to upset her in anyway. He couldn't help but worry about her. She was his teammate. She was… she was special. If she wanted to be difficult, there really was no way for him to stop her. Things had been that way for so long now. Nevertheless, if it ever came down to her needing his protection, she would have it. Sasuke would never let anything happen to her… and if he did, he would never forgive himself.

…

The written exams came and passed, team seven getting by with how well they knew each other. The day they were set to leave for the exams had arrived quickly after. Being there were so many genin who passed the written exams, a preliminary round was held. It was a three day travel to Suna, and only the first thirty teams to arrive would be able to move to the next round. They were currently two days into their travels, just as the sun began to set. Naruto was by the river, trying to catch some fish for them to eat while Sakura and Sasuke set out their beddings. They were ahead of most teams, so they weren't concerned about losing a spot. However, as soon as they ate and had a little rest, they would be on their way. There wasn't much further for them to go now.

While Sasuke was setting out Naruto's bedding as well, Sakura had gathered enough wood to get a fire started. His obsidian eyes watched her as she went about trying to light the fire the old fashioned way. He didn't know why, but just the thought of her hands being hurt by the attempt rubbed him the wrong way.

"Sakura, let me-"

"I can do it!" She snapped which caused Sasuke's face to fall.

He didn't understand what her problem was, or why she was so upset every time he offered or tried to help her. It was because Sakura was sick and tired of being a burden. She was sick and tired of being the weakest link. She was sick and tired of not being dependable enough. She wanted to be better. She didn't want to have to rely on them. She didn't want protecting. She wanted to be an equal.

How hard and long would she have to work to get there? Would she ever…

Sasuke's hand took hold of hers, stopping her fruitless work. Their eyes met and he gave her a kind smile at the forlorn look on her face. "I know you can do it, but I want to do it. Please?"

Relaxing at his words, Sakura nodded softly. It only took Sasuke a second to have the fire wood pile ablaze. She knew it was wrong of her to think so, but it seemed like everything just came so easily to him, and even to Naruto. She struggled for so long, still was… and she still was so far away from catching up to them. It was a bit depressing, so most of the time she forbid herself from thinking about it. When she was with them though, it was impossible not to.

They were there, reminding her of everything she wasn't. She was proud of them of course, so happy that they were as strong as they were. But she was a member of team seven as well. She needed to be on par with those two- and one day, no matter how hard she had to work, she would do just that.

Soon, a cheeky Naruto returned with a couple fish for each of them and the three of them got them cooking. They sat around the fire together, talking about the upcoming exams. Naruto was so sure of himself, Sasuke was mostly quiet on the matter and Sakura… as much as she hated to admit it, was feeling pretty insecure about them herself.

Of course, her teammates were exemplary. They were destined to succeed, but her? She still had a long way to go. Naruto and Sasuke both knew her well enough to know when she was sulking as she was now. It was Naruto who moved closer to her and nudged her with his elbow.

"What's up, Sakura-chan? Scared you're gonna kick too much ass in the exams?" He joked and she rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the giggle that escaped her.

"More like scared I'll get my own kicked." She shrugged, her amusement ending in a sigh. "It's just a lot to think about, I guess. I'm sure it will be fine."

"Damn right it will, Teme and I will make sure you're okay! That was the deal wasn't it?" Naruto snorted.

Sasuke frowned as he listened, eyes on the fish cooking in the flames. "She won't need us to make sure of anything." He muttered, but his words rang out loud and clear to Sakura.

Her heart soared at their meaning and she found all her worries vanishing. Her team did believe in her, even if she believed in them more. The three of them would pass together. They just had to.

…

They arrived in Suna as the third team. It was a relief to have that race over with, but all three of them were curious as to what they'd go through next. The second round was similar to their last go at the chunin exams. They were given a heaven scroll, and required to obtain an earth scroll to go along with it, and make it to a building in the center of the desert in just three days time.

The risk factors associated with the exams were high enough that the three of them were made to sign wavers, which had been a bit concerning to Sakura. Her teammates however, didn't seem to care. They moved fast, finding a group to attack within the first half an hour and luckily for them, they had an earth scroll.

It was amazing seeing Sasuke and Naruto fight together. But once again, Sakura found herself being utterly useless to her team. They were so skilled they didn't even need her and that was all too disappointing to her. She wanted to help. She wanted to fight. But it seemed they were determined to do all the work and leave her with nothing. It was infuriating, but as they traveled through the desert on their way to their goal, she decided not to dread on it.

An unexpected occurrence happened. The Akatsuki had made a move, attacking the kazekage during the late stages of the exams. When Naruto heard about it he nearly lost his mind, and Sasuke had to put him in a choke hold to keep him from running into action before even hearing what had happened. It was just as they'd arrived at their destination that the attack was announced. Luckily, Gaara managed to escape but the exams were canceled on the spot and team seven was sent packing.

Sakura found herself depressed as she and her two teammates moved quickly through the forest on their way home. There was no way of them knowing if they'd be promoted or if they'd have to attend another chunin exam later on and it was a bit unsettling. In the end, it was ultimately left up to their leader. Tsunade.

In spite of everything, Tsunade seemed to be in a fair mood when they returned- and she was quick to promote all three of them, along with the other teams from their village who had attended. Everyone had worked hard and they were all far above genin level so it only made sense for them all to be promoted. There was always more to learn, and they would never stop striving to better themselves. Tsunade knew she'd made a wise decision.

…

Sakura still had a while to go with her training. She was with Tsunade every chance she could be, and when she wasn't, she was working in the hospital- or in the training grounds. She knew her limits and she would push herself as far as she could, as often as she could. It was the only way she'd ever get any better.

Tsunade seemed to have much more faith in her these days, she was allowed to work more without being nagged endlessly. And in turn, Sakura was being more careful when it came to her work. She never performed any surgeries unless it was an life or death situation and there were no other capable medics on scene. Sadly, she still wasn't allowed to go on missions with her teammates which disappointed her. She was always left behind- though she did make good of the free time she had.

Today, she was in her room reading one of her medical books when she heard a knock on her window. One delicate, pink brow rose in question as she got up from her desk and walked to her window. The second she opened it, she spotted Sasuke who had a sour look on his face.

"Sasuke-kun, you're back?" She asked with a smile, knowing he'd been away on a mission but all the blood drained from her face when she sensed how drained his chakra was, when she really took a look at his face.

He was so pale, that sour look actually one of discomfort and pain. Sakura quickly pulled him inside her room without waiting for a response. She pushed him over to her bed and forced him to lay down, her hands ripping his shirt clean off of him. She would find whatever injuries he possessed and she would heal him. She couldn't stand that dreadful look on his gorgeous face. Not on her watch.

Though her face contorted in anguish at the sight of his infected, open wound that was obviously done by a kunai, Sakura wasted no time in getting to work. Sasuke remained still and silent as she started healing him. She concentrated solely on the task at hand, pouring her soothing chakra into him. The infection had to be taken care of first, but then she could focus on closing the wound.

It looked pretty nasty, but it only took Sakura about ten minutes to have the wound completely healed. She sighed once she was finished and ran her hand over the area in thought. It wasn't like Sasuke to get injured. Even now, he was so quiet- more so than he normally was. His expression had now become unreadable, so Sakura couldn't help feeling concerned.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun? Can you tell me what happened?" She could only think that the mission must have been awful.

Sasuke's eyes moved to hers slowly and he studied her face for several moments before speaking. "You weren't at the hospital." He merely whispered, causing her brows to pull together.

"Huh?"

Watching as he stood from the bed, Sakura felt confusion consume her. Sasuke's didn't bother grabbing his ripped shirt as he walked towards the window. He wouldn't admit that when he went to the hospital and found she wasn't there, he feared her being sick or something. She was almost always in the hospital, or at least with Tsunade-and when she wasn't, he just had to come check on her. He'd initially been ignoring his own injury, but instead Sakura was just fine and she made him all better too. She was always helping him.

"Forget about it." He said as he stood by the window, glancing back at her briefly. "Thank for healing me."

Sakura watched him leave, wondering exactly what it was that was on his mind. Sometimes she didn't understand her dark haired teammate at all. With a sigh, she forced herself to return to her studies. Sasuke would always have that confusing, quiet side to him. One day, she hoped to be able to focus on all of him so he could never get anything past her.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **It really has been forever since I updated this fic. Sorry guys, I have a bad habit of having too many things going on at once. I will aim to do better!**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


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